The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) was awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- State Energy Program (ARRA- SEP) funds to provide a limited number of comprehensive energy audits ...
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Learn from the energy savings of your neighbors as they make a difference in their municipal and school buildings.

Energy Auditors found that nearly all the buildings visited were very unique, and energy saving opportunies often varied dramatically from one to the next. More Results

Learn more about the most effective ways to reduce energy use in your New Hampshire Schools.

Many municipal and school buildings in NH were found to rely on volunteer labor and equipment donations. This often results in long-term higher costs, with only short-term gains. Explore further

Space heaters were found to be one of the most over-looked sources of heating-related energy use, as the impact is often seen on the electric bill, and not the oil or gas bill. More Results

3 low-cost high impact measures you can start applying right now in public safety buildings. Find out More

Short-term costs of materials/equipment were often found to be given more focus than the long term cost of inefficient equipment. Learn more

Overall Program Results

Across all buildings, the overall payback for all energy savings opportunities was 8.8 years

For all buildings audited, the average per-building cost to implement all recommended energy efficiency opportunities was $19,054

$1,814 was the average annual cost savings for all energy efficiency opportunities identified.

Public Library

In Public Libraries, the audits identified $96,001 in annual energy savings opportunities.

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in Public Library audits is 9.0 years

For all measures identified in Public Libraries audited, the average cost for a measure is $24,740, the average annual cost savings for all measures is $2,743, and the average payback for a measure is 5.2 years.

Public Administration

In Public Administrative buildings, the audits identified $116,658 in annual energy savings opportunities.

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in Public Administrative audits is 12.7 years

For all measures identified in Administrative buildings audited, the average cost for a measure is $9,761, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $767, and the average payback for a measure is 5.8 years.

Public Safety

In Public Safety buildings, the audits identified $39,602 in annual energy savings opportunities.

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in Public Safety building audits is 10.6 years

For all measures identified in Public Safety buildings audited, the average cost for a measure is $5,304, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $501, and the average payback for a measure is 6.4 years.

Public Works

In Public Works buildings, the audits identified $7,384 in annual energy savings opportunities.

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in Public Works building audits is 24.8 years

For all measures identified in Public Works buildings audited, the average cost for a measure is $5,901, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $238, and the average payback for a measure is 10.2 years.

Elementary Schools

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in School audits is 10 years

For all measures identified in Elementary Schools audited, the average cost for a measure is $38,533, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $3,795, and the average payback for a measure is 7.4 years.

Middle Schools

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in School audits is 10 years

For all measures identified in Middle Schools audited, the average cost for a measure is $38,533, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $3,795, and the average payback for a measure is 7.4 years.

High Schools

The payback time for all energy saving measures identified in School audits is 10 years

For all measures identified in High Schools audited, the average cost for a measure is $38,533, the average annual cost savings for a measure is $3,795, and the average payback for a measure is 7.4 years.

Next Steps

Incentives/Policies for Renewables & Efficiency

In order to ensure the data on this website remains as current as possible, the links below are directly in-sync with the latest NH specific data on the DSIRE (Department of Energy Database of State Incentives Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) website. This list is not maintained or established by the NH Office of Energy and Planning nor any of the firms or organizations listed on this website. All credit for the data and it's related value and use belongs to www.dsireusa.org.

Ok, Audit Completed! Now What?

The State of New Hampshire, NH utility companies, and other organizations listed below offer multiple programs designed to improve the energy efficiency of
municipal and school buildings through financial incentives and technical support. Many of the currently available programs are
presented below however building managers are encouraged to explore all funding and incentive opportunities.

Contact Information

The NH Local Energy Audit Exchange program expires in the spring of 2012 - and therefore, the best contacts for inquiries about the program and or the results are listed below. For questions related to program design, intent, or impact, please direct questions to the NH Office of Energy and Planning as specified below. For all other questions, including technical questions about energy audits and related services, please contact TRC Energy Services as specified below.

Throughout the site-visits to municipal buildings and schools, the energy auditors also provided informal education to key staff who were present during the walkthroughs. In addition to

on-site education, the energy auditors also presented the findings of the energy audit final report to municipal/school staff, and answered questions.

In an effort to amplify the impact of this program, this website, known as the NH Local Energy Audit Exchange (NH LAX), has been developed for posting completed energy audit reports along with valuable information gained while completing the audits. This website builds on the premise that municipalities and school districts can identify issues from the experiences of others with similar buildings, and better leverage available funding to implement energy efficient upgrades.

Energy Audits, More Information

The project team conducted ASHRAE Level 2 audits of the municipal buildings (including schools) that were selected for the program. The energy audits helped to identify all appropriate energy conservation measures for each facility, and included a financial analysis based on implementation costs, operating costs, and attainable savings. The ultimate goal was to identify for each energy conservation measure, the amount to be saved, the amount the measure will cost, and estimated payback period. In addition, the audits discussed suggested changes/improvements to operations and maintenance procedures and operations. The project team believes that this level of analysis was adequate for most municipal buildings selected for the program.

Those municipal and or schools that were selected for this program were teamed with an energy auditing firm to work with – which consisted of one of the following firms:

The assignment of the energy auditing firms was primarily based on the auditing firm’s experience with the particular facility type, as well as the firm’s ability to complete the audit in a reasonable timeframe (given consideration to current audits in the pipeline for a particular firm). When a building was assigned, the facility was also benchmarking using the EPA Portfolio Manager tool - which allowed the auditing firm to provide facility staff with valuable insights into the facility’s energy consumption patterns, as well as the opportunity to identify potentially problematic issues.